Socioeconomic differences in childhood growth trajectories: at what age do height inequalities emerge?
Socioeconomic differences in childhood growth trajectories: at what age do height inequalities emerge?
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DOI：
10.1136/jech.2010.113068
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发表时间：
2012-02-01
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
Lawlor, Debbie A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Howe, Laura D.;Tilling, Kate;Lawlor, Debbie A.
背景 成人身高的社会经济差异经常被观察到，但这些不平等现象出现的年龄以及它们在整个童年时期所遵循的模式尚不清楚。 主题和方法 使用雅芳父母和儿童纵向研究 (ALSPAC) 的数据，对从出生到 10 岁 (N=12366) 的身高轨迹进行了建模。使用混合效应模型估计个体轨迹。研究了不同社会经济地位（SEP）的轨迹差异。结果 不同孕产妇教育类别的出生长度存在明显梯度；与最高母亲教育类别相比，男孩的平均出生身长低 0.41 厘米，是最高 SEP 类别的平均出生身长的 0.9%（女孩的结果为 0.65 厘米，1.3%）。儿童期生长的社会经济差异很小，并且随着年龄的增长，身高不平等的扩大程度也很小。到 10 岁时，最低和最高母亲教育类别的儿童之间的平均差异为：男孩 1.4 厘米，女孩 1.7 厘米；与出生时所见的比例差异相似（男孩为 1.0%，女孩为 1.2%）。当使用父亲的教育程度或家庭职业社会阶层来衡量 SEP 时，模式是相同的。 结论 对于这组 20 世纪 90 年代出生的英国儿童来说，童年时期身高的社会经济差异主要是由于出生身长的不平等造成的，而童年后期的生长差异则导致了不平等的小幅增加。
Background Socioeconomic differentials in adult height are frequently observed, but the age at which these inequalities emerge and the patterns they follow through childhood are unknown.Subjects and Methods Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), height trajectories from birth to 10 years (N=12366) were modelled. Individual trajectories were estimated using mixed-effects models. Differences in trajectories by socioeconomic position (SEP) were investigated.Results There was a clear gradient in birth length across categories of maternal education; average birth length in boys was 0.41 cm lower in the lowest maternal education category compared with the highest, which is 0.9% of the average birth length for the highest SEP category (equivalent results for girls 0.65 cm, 1.3%). Socioeconomic differences in childhood growth were small, and only resulted in minimal widening of the height inequality with increasing age. By the age of 10 years, the mean difference between children in the lowest and highest maternal education categories was 1.4 cm for boys and 1.7 cm for girls; similar proportionate differences to those seen at birth (1.0% for boys and 1.2% for girls). Patterns were the same when father's education or household occupational social class were used to measure SEP.Conclusions The socioeconomic differential in height during childhood in this cohort of children born in the UK in the 1990s arises largely through inequalities in birth length, with small increases in the inequality from differences in growth in later childhood.